$10,000 birdwatching tours growing in Vietnam but need wider promotion

"On average, a tourist spends between $4,000 to $10,000 on a long-term birdwatching tour, excluding airfare," Nguyen Hoai Bao, ornithologist and CEO of Wildtour, a company offering birdwatching tours since 2005, says.

These tours are becoming particularly popular among wealthy customers, with Wildtour reporting it is fully booked until the end of 2026, mainly by foreign tourists.

Tourists hunt for bird photos at Tram Chim National Park, Dong Thap Province in southern Vietnam, in January 2024. Photo by Ngo Tran Hai An

Birdwatching tours allow participants to observe various bird species, either with the naked eye or through equipment like binoculars and specialized cameras.

In Vietnam, birdwatching tours began in the 1990s.

Bao said early customers mostly came from developed countries in Europe and North America, but since 2015 the market has expanded to include tourists from Thailand and Singapore.

Recently it has also attracted wildlife photography enthusiasts from places like Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, and India.

Bao says these tours are more expensive than regular tours because they are personalized to cater to the specific needs of each group, which typically consists of six to 12 people. Foreign tourists also often stay for extended periods of three to four weeks per trip.

Vietnam is home to around 300 rare bird species, including the red-crowned crane, grey-throated thrush, mountain swiftlet, red-crowned green woodpecker, banded crow, and white-necked crane.

"Birdwatching tours are popular in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia, and generate significant revenues," Bao says.

A black-tailed gull (Larus crassirostris) flies takes off over a flock of Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) at a salt field in Can Gio District, HCMC. Photo by Nguyen Anh The

In Vietnam, though available for nearly 20 years, they are offered by only around 10 companies.

Industry experts admit that the promotion of birdwatching tours in Vietnam has been limited and infrastructure at national parks remains underdeveloped.

Travel companies also complain about the tortuous procedures related to organizing these tours and a shortage of qualified tour guides.

Poaching and deforestation continue to reduce bird populations, making tourists hesitant to book tours, insiders point out.

Birdwatching tours are available at national parks and nature reserves across Vietnam.

They often take visitors to Cat Tien National Park during the dry season from November to April, with 15-20 groups visiting on average per month.

These generate funds for conservation, add to the range of tourism products and create jobs.

Daisy Kanagasapapathy, a lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality Management at RMIT University Vietnam, says to grow the birdwatching tour model the industry should focus on marketing campaigns targeting eco-conscious tourists and birdwatching communities and develop infrastructure such as observation huts, eco-resorts and professional guide services.

She also calls for organizing events like BirdFair to showcase unique species.